Life feeling a bit lacklustre at the moment? Beat the ‘meh’ and hardwire your happy thoughts with these top tips

Rather than every morning being just a rush to get out of the door, treat that non-work window with the respect it deserves and slot in a spot of self-care. What if, instead of giving yourself the minimum time you need to get ready, you scheduled a slow, mindful morning? 

Give yourself an hour where there’s no need to rush. Do some meditation, read a book, make yourself a fancy latte and really savour it. This is how you start off the day on the right note. 

Dr Laurie Santos is a professor at Yale who’s spent years studying what really makes us happy. One thing she’s a huge proponent of is the power of rituals – the process of doing something in a specific, deliberate way. 

She suggests this taps into the beneficial feeling of awe, while also providing the comfort of familiarity. A ritual is a routine that doesn’t feel routine – and all it takes is a mindset change and some extra care.

So, let’s take a standard shower. Swap out a quick scrub for a ritual that feels special. I’ve written before about the benefits of an everything shower and I stand by that. I have bleached hair that I wash once a week. I’ve made a conscious effort to treat that one hair wash day as a proper self-care ritual – the equivalent of a nice long soak in the bath for bath-haters. And now that method® does haircare – that’s sulphate and paraben-free – I get to bring those reviving scents to my hair, too.

The Simply Nourish shampoo and conditioner are the perfect pairing for keeping my coloured hair healthy, and have a comforting fragrance of coconut, shea butter and rice milk that turns what’s normally just another thing on my to-do list into a spa-like experience.  

Don’t underestimate the power of a little treat… or the benefits of anticipation. Research has found that having something to look forward to – even if it’s small – kicks the body’s reward system into gear and releases dopamine.

Make sure there’s always something exciting in the future – both near and faraway. Maybe you can plan a holiday for a few months’ time, schedule a visit to a new book shop at the weekend or save the next episode of your favourite podcast for your commute home. The key is deliberately planning those excellent things in the future, so every moment takes on an anticipatory glow.  

Mixing up your usual sensory experience is a scientifically-proven way to hit refresh mentally. Our brains crave novelty – it’s another thing that sparks dopamine. Think of the five senses and see which you can tickle with something new. 

For sight, you could put up a new print by your doorway. Sound: listen to an artist you’ve never heard of before. Taste: mix up your usual porridge toppings for breakfast. Touch: get tactile with some hands-on gardening. Smell: swap out your usual shower gel for one of method®’s scents – the zing of Daily Zen, the luxury of Pure Peace, the calm of Simply Nourish… Any will do the job of making a standard shower feel extra special.  

Expressing gratitude has been proven over and over again to improve mental wellbeing. Why not turn your daily gratitude practice into a proper ritual and tick off two happiness hacks at once? 

Every evening, carve out 10 minutes to sit down with a nice cup of tea and write down three things you were grateful for that day. They don’t have to be big, grand things – in fact, feeling gratitude for micro-joys might be even better than giant celebratory moments. Cuddles with your pet, that perfect autumn weather when it’s sunny but there’s a chill in the air, a really excellent hair day, getting to come home to a space you love.

There are pockets of joy all over the place, hiding behind the dreariness of the same old routines. All you need is to give those moments a quick scrub and look at them from a new perspective.